InterRegio Südostbahn (SOB) operates
InterRegio (IR) services as
named trains
Voralpen-Express,
Treno Gottardo, and
Aare Linth. Due to the
clock-face scheduling, the
Swiss rail network offers passengers timely connections at most railway stations. Since 2018, most InterRegio lines in Switzerland are numbered and color-coded for more clarity.
Voralpen-Express From 1992 to 2013,
Voralpen-Express (
English: "
Prealps Express") was jointly operated with the
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS), and it continued as a
regional train between
St. Gallen and
Romanshorn. It is since operated solely by SOB, and the trains turn around in St. Gallen. Between 2013 and 2019,
Voralpen-Express ran under its own
train category (
VAE). It is now again classified as InterRegio (unnumbered) after it was briefly categorized as
Panorama Express (PE). The name
Voralpen-Express is still indicated on
platform displays and mentioned during train departure announcements at the
platform.
Voralpen-Express:
– Luzern – – – – – – – – – – – – St. Gallen
Voralpen-Express runs mainly on tracks of the SOB network but
uses tracks owned by Swiss Federal Railways between Lucerne and Arth-Goldau, and between Rapperswil and Wattwil (including the long
Ricken Tunnel on the
Uznach–Wattwil line).
Treno Gottardo )
Treno Gottardo (
Italian for "
Gotthard train") is jointly operated by SOB and
SBB CFF FFS and runs entirely on the network owned by the latter. It connects the city of
Locarno, in the
Italian speaking part of Switzerland, alternately with the cities of
Basel and
Zurich, both located in the
German speaking part of the country. Trains to/from Basel reverse direction at Lucerne (dead-end station). It was launched in December 2020, but trains turned around at Bellinzona until spring 2021 due to construction work between Bellinzona and Locarno at that time.
– Basel SBB – – Luzern – Arth-Goldau – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Locarno
– Zürich HB – – Arth-Goldau – Schwyz – Brunnen – Flüelen – Erstfeld – Göschenen – Airolo – Ambri-Piotta – Faido – Lavorgo – Bodio TI – Biasca – Castione-Arbedo – Bellinzona – Cadenazzo – Tenero – Locarno
Treno Gottardo follows the scenic route of the
Gotthard Railway. This "old route" crosses the
Alps through the ca. long
Gotthard Tunnel between
Göschenen (
a.s.l.) and
Airolo ( a.s.l.). It uses a series of
spiral loops and
horseshoe curves (partly in tunnels) to quickly gain
altitude, or to lose altitude on the other side of the tunnel, respectively. All
InterCity and
EuroCity trains instead use the long
Gotthard Base Tunnel since its opening in 2016.
Aare Linth The named train
Aare Linth was launched in December 2021. It connects
Chur, the capital of
Canton Grisons, with the Swiss capital of
Bern. The trains reverse direction at
Zurich mainstation (Zürich HB), which is a
cul-de-sac. The train is named after the
Aare and
Linth rivers, which it follows/crosses on its journey.
Aare Linth is operated by SOB in cooperation with
SBB CFF FFS; it runs entirely on the Swiss Federal Railways network.
Stadler "
Traverso" trainsets operate on this InterRegio line except during
rush hour, when higher-capacity
rolling stock of SBB CFF FFS is used.
– Bern – – – – – – Zürich HB – – – Pfäffikon SZ – – – – – – – – – Chur
Alpenrhein-Express In December 2024, the new named train
Alpenrhein-Express began operations using Stadler "Traverso"
EMUs. It connects
Chur with
St. Gallen. The train is named after the
Alpine Rhine (), a portion of the
Rhine. The
Alpenrhein-Express runs mainly over the
Chur–Rorschach railway line of Swiss Federal Railways, which follows the Alpine Rhine. This line was upgraded to
dual tracks prior to the opening of the service, allowing for a half-hourly InterRegio service. The
Alpenrhein-Express operates hourly, while another IR13 service of Swiss Federal Railways operates in between. The latter run between Sargans via St.Gallen to Zurich. The same trainsets used for the
Alpenrhein-Express continue as S81 service of St. Gallen S-Bahn (see below), providing hourly direct services between Chur and
Appenzell Ausserrhoden's capital Herisau.
– St. Gallen – – – – – – Sargans – Bad Ragaz – Maienfeld – Landquart – Chur
S-Bahn as S40 on the
Seedamm Südostbahn (SOB) operates the following
S-Bahn services in Central and Eastern Switzerland: •
Lucerne S-Bahn: • '
– – – – – – ' •
St. Gallen S-Bahn: • '
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ' •
Rapperswil – – – Uznach – – – – – – – – – – '
( – – – – – – – ', only during off-peak hours) • '
– – – – – – – Ziegelbrücke – Schänis – Benken – Uznach – Schmerikon – Blumenau – Rapperswil' •
St. Gallen – St. Gallen Haggen –
Herisau •
Zürich S-Bahn: • '
– Biberbrugg – – – – – ' •
Einsiedeln – Biberbrugg – Schindellegi-Feusisberg – Samstagern – – – – – – –
Rapperswil • Not formally part of an S-Bahn network: • (
March shuttle)
Ziegelbrücke – – – – '''''' (operates only Monday–Friday during peak-hours) == See also ==